AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When the device rings again, I answer, letting all my hostility drip into my tone. “What?”
“Is that any way to speak to your new boss?”
“You are not my boss.”
“Well, little flower, my bosses say otherwise, and we have a lot to discuss. Direction, sound, what you envision for this album.”
“That’s to be decided between me and the producer.”
“Exactly.”
“Oh, no. That’s not happening. You are not producing me.”
“But I am, sweetheart. I have been instructed to help you with this from start to finish.”
Those meddling fuckholes! I don’t know what they believe they’re accomplishing, but they are making their way to the top of my shit list in rapid fashion. Recording my music isn’t worth all of this. Writing those songs was painful enough. Working on them with Liam… “No.”
“It’s not an option, and we need to get started. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“I said no. I would rather burn it all than work with you.”
“That would put you in breach of contract.”
The sound that rattles in my chest is nothing short of rabid. My back is in a corner. For now, at least. “Fine. I’ll text you the address.”
“Oh, so you do still get texts.”
I hang up without responding, then give the driver a new address. If I have to deal with Liam tonight, I’ll make him fucking regret it.
***
I stomp across the marble foyer, still fuming from the conversation that ended twenty minutes ago. Liam is not sucking me back into his game. Months were spent steeling my heart against him, and I’m not letting him undo my hard work.
Why won’t he just let it go? He has his one true love—gag—and a new baby coming soon. Or maybe it’s already here.
Does he think I’m going to play the girl on the side? That I’ll hop back in his bed while he sets up his second chance family with his high school sweetheart?
Fuck that and fuck him.
I swing the matte black door open with too much force as violence drips from every molecule of my being, causing it to slam into the wall. My teeth show as I look at the knob stuck in the wall and then over at the man behind the desk. His dark eyes dance toward the ceiling with annoyed exasperation, and he exhales. “Knocking is acceptable, Lil. Just as is opening the door with a more delicate hand instead of like a banshee.”
My moment of contrition over the damaged wall evaporates like rain on asphalt in the middle of summer. If Liam had competition for who could piss me off faster, it would be Thad. “Delicacy is not in my vocabulary,” I snap. “You need to stop…” I wave my hand toward his desk, gesturing to whatever he’s doing. “We leave at seven.”
He shuts his laptop, pushes away from his desk, and turns to the side. “Hi. How are you, Thad?” He turns in the opposite direction with a dramatic hand to his chest. “Oh, me? I’m fine. How are you?” His head tilts, looking at me now. “Is it me, or is that how a proper conversation should start?”
“I don’t have time for your,” I wave at him, my frustration growing stronger, “theatrics right now. I need you dressed and ready to go. Make it something dark and sexy. Chop, chop, pretty boy.”
He shakes his head and sits back down in his overpriced, ergonomic chair. “Sorry, Lil. No can do. The account deadline is soon. I’ve got to finish with this proposal.”
I stomp across the thick carpeting, lean over his solid glass desk with 24-karat trim, wrap my fingers in the collar of the stupid suit he wears even though he’s in his home office, and pull him to me. “You are coming with me tonight.”
His left hand lifts as he pries my fingers from his jacket, unfazed by my attitude. “Would you like to tell me what’s going on?”
I step away from him and glare. “You are going to play the doting fiancé that put this ring on my finger tonight. That’s what is going on.”
His dark brows hit his hairline. “Why the sudden need to flaunt it? I thought we were trying to keep it low-key so no one gets suspicious.”
“Why are you asking so many questions?” My hand settles on my hip as I continue to glare at him. “I’ve played my role in this charade. You needed a fake fiancé to convince whoever the hell it is that you’re evolving from the man whore you are to a family man. I’m only asking you to play that role for me.”
